阅读理解

　　Will Nanfang University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen announce a new beginning for China's higher education reform?It's too early to answer．But its presence is challenging the Ministry of Education．Even without the approval of the ministry it seems that the school is determined to move forward and enroll 50 students, so-called child prodigies(奇才), to begin classes on March l, 2011．On graduating in 2015, these students will receive a diploma unauthorized by the Ministry of Education-unlike the students of their age from the state-run universities．

　　The school is committed to modeling itself on Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, but if the government will not approve the school, the situation could cause a lot of trouble for those 50 students if they want to do graduate studies at other higher learning institutions．Other schools could turn their applications down for their unauthorized diplomas．

　　The difficulties, however, have not frightened students and their parents away．On Dec．18, 2010 more than 1,000 students and their parents visited Nanfang University of Science and Technology for interviews．

　　Private investment marks the school out from other higher learning institutions in the nation．Not a penny comes from the government．So the government will have no voice in how the school will be run．

　　The Ministry of Education has published a comprehensive plan for education reform and development between 2011 and 2020．The goal is to make China's higher education internationally competitive．To accomplish this goal, the government should have the courage to let the educators who have big ideas try them out．The ministry should have applauded the independence the school in Shenzhen has shown and encouraged more to do likewise．

　　Education reform in China has reached a new and crucial stage．Nanfang University of Science and Technology has a long way to go to prove itself competitive rather than a diploma mill．

阅读理解

　　He's an old cobbler(修鞋匠)with a shop in the Marais, a historic area in Paris．When I took him my shoes, he at first told me：“I haven't time．Take them to the other fellow on the main street; he'll fix them for you right away．”

　　But I'd had my eye on his shop for a long time．Just looking at his bench loaded with tools and pieces of leather, I knew he was a skilled craftsman(手艺人)．“No,”I replied,“The other fellow can't do it well．”

　　“The other fellow”was one of those shopkeepers who fix shoes and make keys“while-U-wait”－without knowing much about mending shoes or making keys．They work carelessly, and when they have finished sewing back a sandal strap(鞋带),you might as well just throw away the pair．

　　My man saw I wouldn't give in, and he smiled．He wiped his hands on his blue apron(围裙), looked at my shoes, had me write my name on one shoe with a piece of chalk and said,“Come back in a week．”

　　I was about to leave when he took a pair of soft leather boot off a shelf．

　　“See what I can do”he said with pride．“Only three of us in Paris can do this kind of work．”

　　When I got back out into the street, the world seemed brand-new to me．He was something out of an ancient legend, an old craftsman with his way of speaking familiarly, his pride in his craft．

　　These are times when nothing is important but the bottom line, when you can do things any old way as long as it“pays”, when, in short, people look on work as a path to ever-increasing consumption(消费)rather than a way to realize their own abilities．In such a period, it is a rare comfort to find a cobbler who gets his greatest satisfaction from pride in a job well done．

Reading Comprehension

　　Green-space facilities are contributing to an important extent to the quality of the urban environment．Fortunately it is no longer necessary that every lecture or every book about this subject has to start with the proof of this idea．At present it is generally accepted, although more as a self-evident statement than on the base of a closely-reasoned scientific proof．The recognition of the importance of green-spaces in the urban environment is a first step on the right way; this does not mean, however, that enough details are known about the functions of greenspaces in towns and about the way in which the inhabitants(居民)are using these spaces．

　　The theoretical separation of living, working, traffic and recreation which for many years has been used in town-and-country planning, has in my opinion resulted in disproportionate(不成比例的)attention for forms of recreation far from home, whereas(但是)there was relatively little attention for improvement of recreative possibilities in the direct neighborhood of the home．We have come to the conclusion that this is not right, because an important part of the time which we do not pass in sleeping or working, is used for activities at and around home．So it is obivous that recreation in the open air has to begin at the street door of the house．The urban environment has to offer as many recreation activities as possible, and the design of these has to be such that more obligatory(强制性的)activities can also have a recreative aspect．

　　The very best standard of living is nothing if it is not possible to take a pleasant walk in the district, if the children cannot be allowed to play in the streets, because the risks of traffic are too great, if during shopping you can nowhere find a spot of enjoying for a moment the nice weather, in short, if you only feel yourself at home after the street door of your house is closed after you．

Reading Comprehension

　　I heard many parents complaining that their teenage children are rebelling．I wish it were so．At your age you ought to be growing away from your parents．You should be learning to stand on your own two feet．But take a good look at the present rebellion．It seems that teenagers are taking the same way of showing that they disagree with their parents．Instead of striking out boldly on their own, most of them are clutching(紧握)at one another's hands for reassurance．

　　They claim they want to dress as they please．But they all wear the same clothes．They set off in new directions in music．But somehow they all end up huddled(聚在一起)round listening to the same record．Their reason for thinking or acting in thus-and-such a way is that the crowd is doing it．They have come out of their cocoon(蚕茧)into a larger cocoon．

　　It has become harder and harder for a teenager to stand up against the popularity wave and to go his or her own way．Industry has firmly carved out a teenage market．These days every teenager can learn from the advertisements what a teenager should have and be．And many of today's parents have come to award high marks for the popularity of their children．All this adds up to a great barrier for the teenager who wants to find his or her own path．

　　But the barrier is worth climbing over．The path is worth following．You may want to listen to classical music instead of going to a party．You may want to collect rocks when everyone else is collecting records．You may have some thoughts that you don't care to share at once with your classmates．Well, go to it．Find yourself．Be yourself．Popularity will come－with the people who respect you for who you are．That is the only kind of popularity that really counts．

Reading Comprehension

　　As is known, healthy foods can help save your life．Now, here is a list of healthy foods that can save your memory．It is best that every person knows what he eats, as he takes in, can make or break himself, in terms of health．

　　Fish is helpful in regaining back the kind of memory that a person once has．Eating fish can help you save the trouble of forgetfulness．Vegetables rich in fiber and other dark and green leafy kinds are very suitable for people who want to avoid mental blocks．These foods contain high units of vitamin E．

　　Another food that is considered having different effects on preventing this brain deficiency(缺陷)is avocado(鳄梨), which is also rich in vitamins E and C．It is really good to know these healthy foods that can save your memory are always at hand so as to help you in your fight against diseases．Sunflower seeds are regarded as Vitamin C-powered seeds and also give you enough energy．

　　As for red wine, do not over consume it, as it is said to have to be taken in moderate amounts in order to help the body．Over-drinking can cause illness and like anything else．This is considered as one of the healthy foods that can save your memory; alcohol can otherwise lose it．

　　It is better to consume colored bread, rice and whole grains for you to get the best out of fiber．These foods can lower the body's risk of being infected with Alzheimer's disease(老年痴呆病)．

　　Knowing the healthy foods that can save your memory is living the life that you have longed and desired．Among the others, the best, of course, is exercise．Taking in different kind of exercises, physical activities or sports can keep both your body and mind healthy．

Reading Comprehension

　　Today, we complete our story about the influential English writer William Shakespeare．He wrote plays and poems during the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries, which remain very popular today．

　　During earlier times, people would probably have learned several ancient Roman and Greek plays．It was not unusual for writers to produce more current versions of these works．For example, in Shakespeare's play“The Comedy of Errors”Shakespeare borrowed certain details from the ancient Roman writer Plautus．For his play“Macbeth”, Shakespeare most likely used a work on Scottish history by Raphael Holinshed for information．Shakespeare might have borrowed from other writers, but the intensity(强度)of his imagination and language made the plays his own．While many plays by other writers of his time have been forgotten, Shakespeare and his art live on．

　　Shakespeare was also influenced by the world around him．He described the sights and sounds of London in his plays．His works include observations about political struggles, the fear of diseases, and the popular language of the city's tradesmen．Shakespeare's knowledge of the English countryside is also clear．His works include descriptions of deep forests, local flowers, and the ancient popular traditions of rural people．

　　It would be impossible to list all of the ways in which Shakespeare's works have influenced the world culture．But the first and greatest example would be his great influence on the English language．During his time, the English language was changing．Many new words from other languages were being added．Shakespeare used his sharp mind and poetic(富有诗意的)inventiveness to create hundreds of new words and rework old ones．For example, he created the noun forms of“critic”,“mountaineer”and“eyeball”．Many common expressions in English come from his plays, including“pomp and circumstance(装腔作势)”from“Othello”,“full circle(绕圈子地)”from“King Lear”, etc．The list of cultural creations influenced by Shakespeare is almost endless．From paintings to television to music and dance, Shakespeare was well represented．Shakespeare's plays have been translated into every major language in the world．

　　Shakespeare became a well-known writer during a golden age of theater．His years of hard work paid off．

Reading Comprehension

　　The UK has a well-respected higher education system and some of the top universities and research institutions in the world．But to those who are new to it all, sometimes it can be confusing．

　　October is usually the busiest month in the college calendar．Universities have something called Freshers' Week for their newcomers．It's a great opportunity to make new friends, join lots of clubs and settle into university life．

　　However, having just left the comfort of home and all your friends behind, the prospect(前景)of meeting lots of strangers in big halls can be nerve-wracking(令人头痛的)．Where do you start?Who should you make friends with?Which clubs should you join?

　　Luckily, there will be thousands of others in the same boat as you worrying about starting their university social life on the right foot．So just take it all in slowly．Don't rush into anything that you'll regret for the next three years．

　　Here are some top advice from past students on how to survive Freshers' Week：

　　●Learn rules．Make sure you know British social etiquette(礼节)．Have a few wine glasses and snacks handy for your housemates and friends．

　　●Be kind．Sometimes cups of tea or even slices of toast can give you a head start in making friends．

　　●Be sociable．The more active you are, the more likely you'll be to meet new people than if you're someone who never leaves their room．

　　●Bring a doorstop．Keep your door open when you're in and that sends positive messages to your neighbors that you're friendly．

　　So with a bit of clever planning and effort, Freshers' Week can give you a great start to your university life and soon you'll be passing on your experience to next year's new recruits．

Reading Comprehension

　　Donna Simpson weighs more than 600 pounds and aims to reach 1,000 pounds．The New Jersey woman is carrying a series of activities to become the world's fattest living woman, admitting that she is as hungry for attention as she is for calorie-rich food．

　　Donna, who wears XXXXXXXL dresses, eats pounds of junk food and tries to move as little as possible．The 42-year-old woman is a model on a website, where admirers and the curious can pay to watch videos of her eating foods or walking to the car．She has appeared in TV interviews and said she welcomed media coverage．

　　Simpson has submitted a claim to the Guinness World Records for the title of the world's heaviest woman to give birth．Among the heaviest women ever recorded was one who reportedly weighed 1,800 pounds and another who reportedly weighed 1,200 pounds at the time of their deaths．

　　You might expect her husband to advise her to lose weight, but it is the other way round．To achieve her goal, Donna says she will need to eat up to 12,000 calories a day, compared to 2,000 calories that a normal woman needs．

　　When she came across the website which made overly fat women widely known, she came to know there were many women faced with the same problems．And after she admitted her real size, e-mails from people poured in．They sent her gifts through the post, expressing their care for her．Donna was not feeling sorry for her goal, though she might risk her own life in the process．However, some have a different voice in Donna's behavior．They hold that it is more important to do something useful than to become popular．After all, there are so many children faced with the shortage of food throughout the world．

阅读理解

　　Dolphins and sharks are showing up in surprisingly shallow water just off the Florida coast．Mullets, crabs, rays and small fish gather by the thousands off an Alabama pier．Birds covered in oil are crawling(爬)deep into marshes(沼泽), never to be seen again．

　　Marine scientists studying the effects of the BP disaster(英国石油公司漏油事件)are seeing some strange phenomena．Fish and other wildlife seem to be fleeing the oil out in the Gulf and gathering in cleaner waters along the coast in a trend that some researchers see as a potentially troubling sign．The animals' presence close to shore means their usual habitat is badly polluted, and the crowding could result in mass die-offs as fish run out of oxygen．Also, the animals could easily be captured by their enemies．

　　The nearly two-month-old spill(漏油)has created an environmental disaster in US history as tens of millions of gallons have flown into the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem．Scienfists are seeing some unusual things as they try to understand the effects on thousands of species of marine life．For nearly four hours Monday, a three-person crew with Greenpeace cruised(巡航)past delicate islands and mangrove-dotted inlets in Barataria Bay off southern Louisiana．They saw dolphins by the dozen frolicking(嬉戏)in the oily sheen(光泽)and oil-tinged pelicans feeding their young．But they spotted no dead animals．

　　“I think part of the reason why we're not seeing more yet is that the impacts of this crisis are really just beginning,”Greenpeace marine biologist John Hocevar said．

　　The counting of dead wildlife in the Gulf is more than an academic exercise; the deaths will help determine how much BP pays in damages．

阅读理解

　　In this age of Internet chat, videogames and reality television, there is no shortage of mindless activities to keep a child occupied．Yet, despite the competition, my 8-year-old daughter Rebecca wants to spend her leisure time writing short stories．She wants to enter one of her stories into a writing contest, a competition she won last year．

　　As a writer I know about winning contests, and about losing them．I know what it is like to work hard on a story only to receive a rejection slip from the publisher．I also know the pressure of trying to live up to a reputation created by previous victories．What if she doesn't win the contest again?That's the strange thing about being a parent．So many of our own past scars and dashed hopes can surface．

　　A revelation(启示)came last week when l asked her,”Don't you want to win again?”“No,”she replied,“I just want to tell the story of an angel(天使)going to first grade．”

　　I had just spent weeks correcting her stories as she spontaneously(自发地)told them．Telling myself that l was merely an experienced writer guiding the young writer across the hall．I offered suggestions for characters, conflicts and endings for her tales．The story about a fearful angel starting first grade was quickly“guided”by me into the tale of a little girl with a wild imagination taking her first music lesson．I had turned her contest into my contest without even realizing it．

　　Staying back and giving kids space to grow is not as easy as it looks．Because I know very little about farm animals who use tools or angels who go to first grade, I had to accept the fact that I was co-opting(借用)my daughter's experience．

　　While stepping back was difficult for me, it was certainly a good first step that l will quickly follow with more steps, putting myself far enough away to give her room but close enough to help if asked．All the while I will be reminding myself that children need room to experiment, grow and find their own voices．